The scarcely-believable tale of Horner being outpaced on the race-track by Verstappen’s mum was r𝔍ecounted recently by the Re🍃d Bull boss.

Today, Horner and Verstappen are dominating Formula 1 and won this season’s constructor𓃲s’ and drivers’ championships.

But 34 years ago, Horner was denied a victory.

“I raced in the 1989 Junior Karti෴ng Championship, and I raced against Max Verstappen’s mum,” Horner told the podc🌊ast. 

“She was top 10 in the world atও that point, she was fantastic.”

Did she beat you?

“Yes she did,” Horner admitted.

Sophie Kumpen was a respected racing driver who 🅺had a career to be proud of, before her s🌃on was born in 1997.

Young Max had the talented Sophie for a mum, and Formula 1 driverꩵ Jos Verstappen for a dad.

It is a remarkable fact that Horner and Max’s mum were jo⭕stling for position on a race-track eight years before his birth, unaware that one day Max would become the phenom that we see today.

“We met when we were 13,” Horner said. 

“I don’t think either of us could’ve predicteꦚd that.”

Horner also rubbed shoulders with other well-known names in his kartin꧂g days.

“Drivers ꧋like Jan Magnussen, Kevin Magnussen’s father,” he sa﷽id. 

“Giancarlo Fi🧜sic🍨hella, Jarni Trulli, really talented guys. Dario Franchetti.

“My life was obsessed by karting. If I wasn’t in a kart, I was drawing it or ꧂cleani🦋ng it. 

“I was ꦰpretty small.🏅 I read this thing saying that racing drivers were no higher than 5’8’’.

“I had a chart on the wall, and I was willing myself to be short! My brother was quite ta🐻ll and ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚI didn’t want to grow like him! I became obsessed by the age of 13.

“My dad was a mechanic. Until I was in the lead of a race. He hadn’t done the engine clamps up properly. The engine f🍌ell off when I was in th🌳e lead! After that, I’d done well enough that a couple of teams said ‘why doesn’t he come and race for us’.”

Horne𒁃r explained his father’s view of his love for racing: “Between toler🧜ant and supportive. 

“He was like ‘where is this going?’ 

“But, as parents, they always encouraged us to follow our dreams. 🧔In racing, I had something. Suddenly 💃I had a connection with him.”